Indian-American U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara Snubbed By Modi

Preet Bharara, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, made remarks Tuesday.

Reuters

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara deflected questions Tuesday about whether he wanted to be the next U.S. attorney general—then ticked off several types of crimes his office has successfully prosecuted and said Eric Holder's successor should make them priorities.

Speaking at a forum hosted by Crain's New York in Midtown Manhattan, Mr. Bharara noted similarities between the work of his office and Mr. Holder's.

"The priorities are pretty well set," said Mr. Bharara, whose office, in the Southern District of New York, handles cases in eight counties, including those encompassing Manhattan and the Bronx.

"The focus on national security, which is a focus of our office, the focus on cybercrime, which is also the focus of our office, the focus on civil rights, which is also the focus of our office, emphasized most recently in the Rikers Island case," Mr. Bharara said.

Asked about his political ambitions, Mr. Bharara drew laughs from the audience as he blamed his "very proud Indian mother" for touting his name to "all the newspapers."

"I'm very happy doing my job and that's all I'm going to say," he added.

Mr. Bharara's name is one of several being floated for attorney general, according to people familiar with the selection process, who said the decision hasn't been made.

Mr. Bharara said he had been labeled an "Uncle Tom" by critics in South Asia because of his decision to pursue some defendants, particularly the Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade.

Ms. Khobragade was indicted by a federal grand jury for alleged visa fraud and making false statements to get a work visa for her housekeeper. The charges were later dismissed and she returned to India.

And last week, when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held speaking engagements in New York City, Mr. Bharara said he never received an invitation.

"I'm sure it got lost in the mail," he said, eliciting laughter from the audience.